Facebook followers call for intervention in unhealthy dog case

by Mike Magnoli

Facebook followers call for intervention in unhealthy dog case

PALM BEACH COUNTY (CBS12) —

Hungry. Hunched in a too small cage. How can authorities not intervene?

CBS 12 viewers have been reaching out, asking for the situation to be investigated, so on Friday, we put some tough questions to Animal Care and Control about why a dog hasn't been taken away from her owner.

The hard thing for many animal lovers to understand is that Animal Care and Control can't just arrest someone.

They have to enlist a law enforcement agency. And in 9 out of 10 cases they can't just take a dog away either.

Not right away.

Dogs are legally a persons property.

But rest assured, the authorities know about this situation.

CBS 12 News got a warm tailwagging greeting from the mixed breed dog. And we've learned her name is Tiger.

She ran into the street to say hello.

We went to the house on Lakeshore Drive because many Facebook followers reached out to us-- concerned and mad-- because Tiger looks so thin, her cage in the yard, (which houses another female dog) looks crammed.

"Well I'm really happy to see the public have this concern for animals, we are always an agency that's very concerned about animals, and it's great to see people share that concern, but there is a legal process to everything we do, said Capt. David Walskey with Animal Care and Control.

The captain says the house in question is known to him, agents were called out in November because the dog was reportedly being aggressive to neighbors, then Thursday morning for questionable living conditions.

Animal care and control gave Tiger's owner until next Friday to comply with a list of requirements. Including the dog seeing a vet, getting updated shots and tags (for both dogs) and making a bigger kennel.

"Our code requires dogs to have at least 80 ft. for one dog 120 ft. for two, so we are working with those issues , there is an educational component in what we do, our first response does not dictate confiscating the dogs in all situations, if there is an owner and the owner is acting like he is willing to take corrective measures, we work with the owner before that has crossed that line into something criminal," Walskey said.

Earlier this week we told you that anonymous calls about animal cruelty and neglect are at an all-time high in Palm Beach County. Animal Care and Control says they're typically dealing with a call log of about 500 Cases to investigate.